Congress worker in Kannur murdered, party blames CPI-M

Kannur: Thirty-year-old Youth Congress worker, Shoaib was found murdered late last night by CPI-M workers, the party said. The Left party’s leadership here has denied any role in it.

The Congress party called for a dawn-to-dusk shut down in protest of the murder in the district, but allowed vehicles to ply.

According to the party, Shoaib along with a few others was waiting in front of a night eatery near Mattanoor, near here, on Monday, when four persons came in a car and threw bombs to create a scare.

They then slashed him with a sword. The incident occurred around 10.45 p.m.

Shoaib was badly injured, while two other sustained minor injuries. Shoaib was first taken to a nearby hospital and he later passed away at the Kozhikode Medical college hospital.

According to the Congress party, Shoaib was engaged in a tiff in January with the CPI-M unit in the town over student politics.

“Not long back, a club of the Congress party came under heavy attack, after the CPI-M leadership was upset when the children of the party leaders took part in a meeting.

“They unleashed an attack and Shoaib, was at the forefront to stop this. Since then the CPI-M had announced publicly that his days are numbered,” said Kannur district Congress party chief Sateeshan Pacheni.

Pacheni said there has been an uneasy calm in and around Edayanoor near Mattanoor for a while.

CPI-M Kannur district secretary P.Jayarajan, who is in the state capital attending the party’s state committee meeting told the media that there has been no issue between the CPI-M and the Congress party.

Jayarajan said that he has been told by the Mattanoor CPI-M leaders that they have no role in Shoaib’s killing.

“We will look into what has happened and if any of our party members are involved, then appropriate action will be taken.

“But what we are told is that our party has no role in it,” said Jayarajan.

This was the 21st political murder that has taken place in Kannur after Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office in 2016.

While the Mattanoor CPI-M leaders have flatly denied any role of the party behind the murder, TV channels have now released a video of a march taken out by the CPI-M, who are seen shouting slogans that Shoaib’s days are numbered.

Taking a strong stance Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the Communist Party India-Marxist has unleashed terror in brutally finishing off its political rivals.

“The police in Kannur is a mute spectator, as the CPI-M is in control of everything. They are striking at will to eliminate their political rivals in the most inhumane manner.

“We have appealed to all our workers in Kannur to see that they remain calm,” said Chennithala, who is reaching Kannur on Thursday.

State BJP general secretary M.T.Ramesh said that it has now become a common practise that when a political murder happens in Kannur, the CPI-M is the common factor and the victim is either the BJP/RSS or the Congress.